In the Blink of an Eye
by Golden-Flute
Summary: Years have passed since the epic battle between the Guardians and Pitch Black. Jack Frost and teenaged Jaime Bennet have remained friends through it all, but now they must face a different enemy: time. When Jaime has to grow up, what will it mean for the unlikely friendship of the spirit and the boy? One-shot, no slash/yaoi.


_Note: I haven't written a fanfic in years, but Rise of the Guardians got my little brain thinking again. I hope you enjoy it! It's a one-shot about how Jack and Jaime's relationship changes with Jaime's age. It's not yaoi._

_Disclaimer: Rise of the Guardians belongs to Dreamworks and probably Viacom, not me._

~~GF~~

"Mr. Bennet, kindly return your attention to the front of the classroom."

Jaime tore his eyes away from the window and glanced at Cupcake's textbook for the proper page number of MacBeth. When he had turned to the correct page, he looked up at Mrs. Franklin, his elderly English teacher who should have, by now, bought the farm. Her teaching methods were as archaic as her face and equally as boring.

"Sorry," Jaime replied, embarrassed. Usually, Mrs. Franklin was satisfied with an apology, but it was obvious that today wasn't a good-mood day.

"Mr. Bennet, this is the fourth time this week I've had to call your attention back. I encourage imagination, but I do not appreciate it running wild whilst I am teaching. This is high school, Mr. Bennet: Start acting your age."

"Yes, ma'am," Jaime said again, sinking slightly in his chair. He knew there was no reason to be embarrassed, because everyone got called out by Mrs. Franklin every once in a while. More likely, his peers were all feeling his pain and glad it wasn't them this time that had been the target of her grouch this time.

Once Mrs. Franklin began teaching again, Jaime trained his eyes on the blackboard and nodded occasionally, but his mind was elsewhere. He had just seen the first hints of snow flickering outside. It had been a long, hot, summer, but now it seemed that Jack Frost was back in town after his time in the Southern Hemisphere.

Jaime chanced another glance outside to see Jack peering in though the window at him. His white hair was blowing in the wind that supported him. His staff was in one hand and his eyes were bright with excitement as ever. Jack waved and Jaime smiled and winked back.

"Mr. Bennet, stand up!"

Every eye was on Jaime again. He stood up as quietly as he could, but the scrape of his chair on the floor seemed as loud as a gunshot in the dead-silent classroom.

"Come here!" Mrs. Franklin shouted, pointing a finger to the ground next to her. Jaime complied quietly.

"What in the world is so interesting to you out that window that you can't pay attention for a single minute?" Mrs. Franklin demanded once Jaime had reached her.

"It's snowing." Jaime replied semi-honestly.

Mrs. Franklin waggled a menacing finger in his direction. "I don't care if the apocalypse is happening outside that window; you _will_ pay attention in my class and you _will_ learn the material, understood?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now you will stand here for the rest of the class and _pay attention_."

~~GF~~

It was Jaime's lucky break that English class was his last class of the day, so he was spared from a day's worth people staring at the person who had made Old Lady Franklin explode. It had continued to snow and looked like it was going to stick—it seemed cold enough, anyway. When he got to the doors, Jaime pushed one open and stepped outside, standing on the top step and looking around. He became aware that someone was standing beside him.

Without another word, he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He pretended to fiddle with it for a moment and then put it to his ear and said, "Hi, Jack."

"Hey," Jack said, smiling. They had had problems conversing before because, to everyone else, it looked as though Jaime was talking to himself. At those times, Jack just took to walking quietly next to Jaime as he went home. The cell phone trick was a new one and Jack thought it was very clever, "Nice idea. Sorry about your class."

"Don't worry about it, that happens a lot anyway," Jaime said. He started down the steps, heading in the direction of his home. Jack followed beside him, kicking his heels against the pavement in a laid-back walk.

"Welcome home," Jaime said and Jack just smiled.

"It's good to be back."

Without much else to say, Jack remained quiet and Jaime took to holding his phone up and saying "yeah" and "uh-huh" every once in a while to continue his phone ruse.

Jaime would never know how much it meant to Jack that he could still see him.

After a time, Jaime's friends had stopped believing in the Guardians, convincing themselves that it must have been a long, intricate dream. Cupcake was the last one to see Jack before grown-up life began taking a hold and unicorns were no longer important. When she forgot, it was just Jaime left. Jack brooded for several years, treating each meeting with Jaime as his possible last before Jaime forgot about him. But Jaime was special: Jack's first believer still saw him.

"So you're in high school now, huh?" Jack broke the silence.

Jaime nodded, but caught himself and said "Yeah" into his phone. He elaborated, "It's not as bad as they made it out to be in middle school."

"Well that's good. I always wondered what it might be like."

"What are you talking about? You went to high school, right?"

"Nah, in my time, it was the ol' schoolhouse with grades one through twelve. And in any case, I don't remember much of it."

"Right," Jaime concluded.

"To be honest, I was kind of surprised that you could still see me." Jack said. Jaime could sense that this had been on Jack's mind for a while and the relief in the air was palpable.

"Just like you were last year, and the year before that, and the year before that…" Jaime taunted good-naturedly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were _hoping_ I won't see you."

Jack laughed and bumped Jamie's arm with his own like he used to when Jaime was younger.

There was a sudden thumping sound behind them and a large _oof_! Jaime and Jack both turned to see that Wendy, the girl of Jamie's affections, had just fallen over, and her books were splayed all over the ground.

"Hey, she's cute," Jack said, noticing the sudden mixture of horror and awe on his young friend's face, "You should go talk to her."

"No, I- I wouldn't know what to say," Jaime said, nervous. He had tried asking a girl out last year and it had resulted in failure to the grandest of levels. To put himself out there again was to invite failure willingly into his life.

Jack rolled his eyes, "Start with 'here's your book' and see where it goes from there."

Jaime slowly backed away, "But what if she says something that I don't know the answer to."

"Try 'I don't speak English'." Jack laughed, catching the retreating Jamie and pushing him forward a little.

"You've gotta help me."

"Who do I look like; Cupid? Just go talk to her!" Jack goaded. When Jamie showed resistance, Jack tapped his staff lightly on the ground and ice formed underneath Jamie. Already scatterbrained, he easily lost his balance and slid directly towards Wendy, who was scuffling to grab her books before the wind blew them off.

Jack was enjoying himself so much that he forgot to end the icy path and Jamie slid into Wendy, knocking her over once more.

"Oops," Jack murmured happily. He called the wind to him and with a last "good luck," he was off, laughing the whole way. Jaime scowled in his direction before turning to Wendy and noticing that she was brushing her scraped hands, which she had used to break her fall.

"I am so sorry!" Jamie started, crawling around to retrieve her books, "The ice and the—um… well, I… I'm sorry." He grabbed his phone and even though he hadn't really been talking on it, he instinctively pushed the "hang-up" button before putting it back in his pocket.

"It's okay." Wendy said, standing up. She reached out a hand to take her books from Jamie, "Thanks."

"I'm sorry…" Jamie said again, standing up carefully on the ice.

"You're Jamie, right?" Wendy said.

"You know who I am?" Jamie breathed, dumbfounded.

Wendy laughed, "How could I not with Mrs. Franklin yelling at you every day?"

"Oh… yeah… heh…" Jaime said, rubbing the back of his head, freshly embarrassed by the scene that had taken place earlier. "And you're Wendy, right?"

He knew she was Wendy. Of course she was Wendy. What a stupid thing to say.

"Yeah. So… do you like Bigfoot?"

"I—what?" Jamie said. Sure, he liked Bigfoot (he even had his autograph), but how on Earth had his first conversation with the girl he liked turned suddenly from introductions to asking about Bigfoot?

"Your book," Wendy explained shyly, pointing at the book at Jamie's feet, which he had forgotten to pick up. Jamie looked down at the title; Modern Sightings of Bigfoot.

"Oh." Jamie leaned down and picked the book off, brushing the pages that had fallen open on the ice, "Yeah, I guess it's interesting to me."

"Do you like just Bigfoot or do you like other stuff like the Loch Ness Monster and… mermaids or whatever?"

"It's all pretty interesting," Jamie repeated. He looked at the spine of the book, which showed signs of wear and tear.

"That's cool. Well… see you, I guess." Wendy said, turning away.

"Will you go on a date with me?"

Jamie froze, his eyes wide in undiluted horror. Wendy turned and looked at him like he had just recited a Satanic chant. If he died right then and there, he would have considered it to be divine mercy from the mess he had just put himself in.

"Um… okay." Wendy said, blushing, but looking slightly pleased. "Really?"

"Y-yeah… yeah!" Jamie said, slowly realizing that his world wasn't ending.

"Alright," Wendy confirmed again. "I'm free tonight."

"Me too!" Jamie practically shouted. This was, of course, a lie. Mrs. Franklin had assigned so much punishment work for him that there would have been no way he would ever finish in time, even if he started reading at that very second. But this was Wendy. This was different.

"Do you know where I live?" Wendy asked.

"No," Jamie replied, deflating little. Ruined. His whole night was ruined because he didn't know where she lived. How stupid could he possibly be?

Jamie was so busy admonishing himself that he didn't notice when Wendy grabbed his hand and wrote her address on his palm.

"I don't live far from here, so it's really easy to walk there. Maybe around seven, we can go get some ice cream or something?"

"Huh? What?" Jamie said. He glanced at his palm and noticed the neat writing. "Oh, sure!" _Yes_!

Wendy smiled again and then turned to walk in the direction of her house. After Jamie had watched her disappear past the corner, he suddenly remembered the date plans. Ice cream? In this weather? Jamie knew he was odd by teenaged standards, but not even he bought ice cream when it was snowing. Maybe he had found his female counterpart?

Jamie hardly noticed when he reached his home. Sophie, who was now the age Jamie had been when he first met the Guardians, was outside, throwing a ball for Abby.

"Jack's upstairs," she said, pulling the slobbery tennis ball from Abby's mouth.

"Thanks," Jamie said mechanically. He greeted his mother inside and walked up the stairs to his room. When he got inside, he found Jack sitting cross-legged on his bed with a huge grin adorning his face.

"Well?" he asked expectantly. Jamie looked at him for a brief moment before reaching down and grabbing one of Sophie's stuffed animals that she had left on his floor and hurling it at Jack, who caught it in the face.

"That good?" Jack said, laughing as he tossed the stuffed animal aside.

"Hey, Cupid, next time you want to play matchmaker, try not using methods that don't involve injuries."

Jack's face fell, "I hurt her?"

"Just scrapes on her hands, but you are an absolute idiot. I _told_ you I didn't want to talk to her."

"I just figured you weren't going to do anything if I didn't help you out."

"Nice help," Jamie mumbled, tossing his bag next to Jack and collapsing onto his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"So… was it bad?"

"I got a date."

"You're welcome, then!" Jack said, clapping Jamie on the shoulder.

"Don't act like I owe you any favors. My butt still hurts from falling."

"Sorry," Jack smiled.

"No, you're not."

Jack didn't say anything, so Jamie turned his head to look at the boy next to him, "Just remember that when you least expect it, I'm gonna shove you into the Tooth Fairy one day."

Jack laughed at that. His relationship with Tooth was ambiguous, but the humor behind the threat was still entertaining in its own right.

"Or Bunny," Jamie added.

"Whoa now, that's going too far," Jack said.

"Ugh, I should start reading," Jamie said, rolling over to grab his bag and pulling his books out from inside.

"What are you reading?"

"MacBeth."

"Ah, Shakespeare. 'Out! Out, damned spot!'"

"Lady MacBeth."

"You're good."

"I study more than Mrs. Franklin gives me credit for." Jamie said, "Now out, damned spot. I've got to study before my date."

~~GF~~

Jaime came home late every day for the rest of that week and the week following. When he returned, it was always with a goofy grin like he couldn't believe his happiness was real. The success of his first date with Wendy was met by many other successful dates. It turned out that she wasn't a die-hard fan of the supernatural like Jamie was, but she was willing to suspend her disbelief easier than the average person and that made Jamie incredibly happy.

Every night, Jamie would return home to find Jack in his room, waiting to hear Jamie spin tales of love and romance. Jack found Jamie's twitterpating incredibly hilarious, but waited to laugh about it until later out of deference to his friendship with Jamie.

"Jack," Jaime said one night, laying his pen down as he sat at his desk, "I was thinking lately…"

"Well, that's good," Jack replied, lying on the floor with his legs resting on Jaime's bed, "Can't have you turn into a human version of Bunny."

"No, I mean about Wendy," Jamie continued.

"And you haven't for the last two weeks?" Jack said, examining the back of his hand at arm's length.

"I want to introduce her to you."

Jack turned his head to look at Jaime before rolling into a standing position. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Jaime breathed, "It's just that… you mean a lot to me and she means a lot to me. It would be great if I could introduce you."

"Except she'll think you're nuts," Jack said, "She can't _see_ me, remember, knucklehead?"

"She'll see you. She's supportive of my interest in these kinds of things."

"She's supportive of your _interest_, not your belief."

"Please," Jaime said, "At least let me try. I'll explain things to her before I bring her here. If you wait here, I'll introduce you two."

"Whatever you say, Jaime," Jack shrugged.

~~GF~~

"Wendy," Jaime said, grabbing Wendy's hand suddenly the next night, "I want you to come to my room after our date."

Wendy withdrew her hand, looking angry, "Jaime Bennet, we've only been dating for two weeks! We're not even a couple yet!"

"Oh, no, that's not what I—stupid!" Jaime yelled at himself, slapping his hand to his forehead. "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant. I just… I wanted to introduce you to my friend."

"And he's… in your room?" Wendy said, suspiciously.

"He likes to hang out there, yeah."

"Do I know him?"

"Maybe. Have you ever heard of Jack Frost?"

"Like the song? Sure." Wendy said nonchalantly. She took a sip of the soda she and Jamie were sharing at the restaurant. She stopped mid-sip, "Wait. You don't mean to say…"

"He's real, Wendy. I swear on my life that I'm telling the truth."

"Are you… okay, Jaime?"

"I'm fine," Jaime said, taking Wendy's hand back, "Please believe me. I wouldn't lie to you like this. Jack—he's like a brother to me and I really wanted you two to meet."

Wendy sighed loudly, "Fine."

"Really?" Jaime said excitedly.

"Yes."

"But you have to believe. You have to believe in him or you won't see him."

"Sure."

~~GF~~

The date was finished and Jaime and Wendy were walking back to Jaime's house, hand-in-hand. Jack watched them from the window in Jaime's bedroom, unsmiling. He was truly happy for Jaime—that his young friend had finally found someone his own age to identify with, but Jack couldn't help but feel sad. To him, it felt as though a chapter were ending. Three-hundred years he'd spent alone when suddenly this young boy believed in him, and made his friends believe in him too. It was the happiest Jack had ever felt in his life as Jack Frost.

But now Jaime was growing up. He was still interested in his storybooks and in Jack, but now other things were taking over. Jack was relieved, but also incredibly sad. He knew that Jaime was changing and he wanted it for his friend. But he also wondered what he would do once Jaime got married. Would they still be able to talk the way they did now?

The door to the bedroom opened and Jack turned around to see Jaime and Wendy walking in. Jack stood there, unsure of what to say or do. Jaime gestured in his direction.

"Wendy, this is my friend Jack Frost," he said.

Wendy stared directly at Jack for a long time before blinking and saying, "Jaime, I don't see anyone."

"It's because you don't believe. I told you, you have to believe."

Wendy closed her eyes, her eyebrows furrowing. When she opened her eyes again, she stared at Jack again with the same blank, confused expression.

"There's no one there, Jaime."

"But he's right there! You have to try—"

"Jaime." Wendy said, putting her hand in Jaime's, "I don't see anyone. I'm going to go home, okay? You… you get some sleep."

"But—I—" Jaime said, his eyes darting between Jack, who was standing completely still at the window and Wendy, who was leaving his room, "Wait!" He reached out a hand and grabbed hers. Wendy turned around, shocked.

When Jaime didn't say anything, she narrowed her eyes, "Hang on. Why did you ask me to come here? Were you going to break up with me?"

"Break up?" Jaime repeated, nonplussed. Girls and their vast amounts of emotions were still so incredibly out of his league, "But you said we weren't even together!"

"Do you not want to see me?"

"Why would I invite you to my house if I didn't want to see you?" Jaime asked. He took Wendy's other hand so now he was clasping both her hands in his.

Jack turned away, now completely aware that he should be somewhere else. But he couldn't leave Jaime floundering here on his own. He made a fist with his hand and whispered into it softly. When he opened his hand wide, the window burst open and a gentle drift of snow flitted into the room.

Jaime turned to look at him. He winked back. Jaime, taking the hint, gave a small smile and turned back to Wendy.

"Wendy, I… I really care about you. I know we've only been dating for a couple of weeks, but I've never been so happy. Will you please be my girlfriend?"

Wendy put a shocked hand to her mouth, "_That's_ why you asked me here?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Jaime said. He stood there expectantly, hoping with all his heart that he wasn't about to be blown off with Jack watching. What happened instead shocked both him and Jack.

Wendy lunged forward and kissed Jaime. His first kiss.

Jack held back a laugh; Jaime looked so awkward and unsure of what to do with his hands. He settled for placing them on Wendy's waist.

_Good choice_, Jack thought.

When the two teenagers parted, Wendy smiled and said, "I should go home. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah…" Jaime replied breathlessly. Wendy left with a coy smile in Jaime's direction.

Jack walked forward, to Jaime who was still standing in one spot. Before he reached the teenager, Jaime turned around, his eyes filled with excitement.

"Did you see tha—Jack?" Jaime said, suddenly looking around the room. His bright look faltered and disappeared.

"Yeah?" Jack said.

Jaime didn't respond. Instead, he looked wildly around his room and said again, "Jack?"

"I'm right in front of you, Dumbo," Jack laughed. "Are you so love-struck that you've gone completely blind?"

Once again, Jaime didn't answer. He walked around his room, looking in the closet and under the bed. He stared right at Jack a few times, but didn't truly see him. He finally walked to the open window and leaned out of it, looking in every direction for his friend. Jack felt a plummeting feeling in his stomach as the creeping realization that Jaime could not see him sunk in.

And just like that, although Jack hardly know how it had happened, his and Jaime's partnership came a rude and abrupt end.

~~GF~~

Jack burst into North's entryway, scaring several yetis that were carrying loads of toys in their arms. He swerved nimbly around them, but accidentally trampled on the toes of one of the elves. Jack didn't stop. Ever since he had become a Guardian, the yetis were told that Jack was allowed to come and go as he pleased, so he was able to walk in without worrying that Phil would grab him and throw him out.

In any case, Jack was glad not to see Phil at this moment. Old habits die hard and he really didn't want to see the glare that Phil reserved especially for him, despite the fact that the two of them had, more or less, become friends—or at least friend_ly_. No, right now, he needed to see North. He knew where the jolly Guardian could be found.

Jack ran up to Santa's private workshop that doubled as a tinkering room for the old spirit to play with some of the best toys that couldn't be released to the world just yet. Just as Jack suspected, there he was, picking away at miniature, icy version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

North saw Jack's white hair and blue sweatshirt out of the corner of his eye as he worked, "Nice of you to come by. How are things?"

He looked up from his work and took note of the look of apparent distress on Jack's face.

"What is wrong?" he said, his thick Russian accent not getting in the way of the genuine concern in his voice.

"He can't see me," Jack said rapidly. He didn't need to say who he was talking about: North knew very well who. "I was standing there and he could see me. Then he just _couldn't_. I don't understand."

Jack dropped the staff he was carrying and leaned against the wall, sliding into a crouched sitting position. North walked to him and placed a hand on the young Guardian's shoulder.

"Maybe he is growing up?" North suggested.

"But that suddenly?" Jack said, looking at his old friend, "I'm telling you, it was so sudden that I still can't believe it happened. He could see me one second and then he couldn't."

North paused, thinking of how to best phrase his thoughts so as to not send Jack into an emotional rage.

"Listen to me," he began slowly, "Jaime is unique. In all the time I have been a Guardian, I have never known a child to believe in us for so long."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack said, trying to hold back the majority of his emotions. He settled for standing up and walking to one of North's workbenches. It made for a more comfortable place to talk than in the corner.

"This is only theory, but I wonder if at some age or time, all children are set to no longer see us. Maybe it is their innocence that allows them to see us. Perhaps Jaime still believes, but he is just growing up."

Jack didn't say anything. His stomach was still sinking. North had just said exactly what Jack was thinking. Maybe when Jaime took that step forward to ask Wendy out, he had been sealing his childhood and, by extension, Jack, away forever. This realization hurt to think about, but Jack knew in his heart that it was the truth. Jaime was growing up, just like his friends before him. It was difficult for Jack to fully understand and comprehend, as someone who was forever frozen in time. He was always going to represent youth and fun, but the children he loved so dearly now would not be children forever. The proof of that could be seen in Jaime's blank eyes as he stared straight through Jack just a few hours before. They would all grow up and have children of their own. They would live and then die.

This was life.

It was a life barred for Jack: He would never understand what it felt like to have children of his own, to grow old and die quietly in his sleep with his family surrounding him. To die was the curse of life, but to live was also a blessing. It was a blessing he wished for his friend, who could no longer see him.

Jack sighed long and deep, "Why do they have to grow up?"

North laughed gently, breaking the tension. He patted Jack's shoulder again and said, "I have been asking same question for a thousand years, Jack."

~~GF~~

Jack was back at Jaime's house. Instead of inviting himself inside as he had taken to doing the past few years, he stayed outside, staring in through Jaime's window at the teenager who was sleeping peacefully. He knew that it was over: the boy would not see him again. Jack was so sad that if he had weaker control over his emotions, he could have cried. He sat outside Jaime's window all night silently watching his friend, until the sky turned a faint purple as the sun began rising. The frost that had settled in overnight shimmered beautifully against the few early sunbeams.

Jack knew he would not come back here. He didn't even want Sophie to see him, in case she confused Jaime even more than he probably already was. He hoped that when Jaime was older, he would tell his children about Jack Frost. Maybe then he could show himself; when Jaime was grown and confident in his maturity.

Jaime began stirring in his bed. His alarm for school had gone off. Jack grabbed his staff, ready to fly off, but stopped himself. He didn't want to just leave like this.

~~GF~~

Jaime's alarm went off and he rolled over, groaning. He kept his eyes closed, thinking about the night before. He almost couldn't believe that he and Wendy were now going out officially. But where had Jack gone? Normally he would have come back by now, laughing and poking at Jaime with his staff until Jaime rolled out of bed.

Jaime heard the faint sound of skin rubbing against glass. What a strange thing to hear in the morning. But it was familiar. Jaime opened his bleary eyes.

The window was frosting itself; beautiful fernlike patterns were creeping from pane to pane in a delicate array of wintertime. Then just as it had all those years ago, designs began to draw themselves over the frost.

"Jack," Jaime whispered, swiftly leaving the warmth of his bed and creeping to the window. This was classic Jack, but he couldn't see him. Where was he? Was he able to do this from a distance now? Jaime pressed his face against the glass, looking for his friend. Then it hit him like one of Jack's perfectly-formed snowballs.

He couldn't see Jack.

Jack was on the other side of the window—he knew he was—drawing pictures on Jaime's misted window, but as hard as Jaime tried, he couldn't see the white hair, the blue sweatshirt or Jack's beloved staff.

Jaime backed away, shaking his head in disbelief, his eyes wide. There was a sudden whistle as wind hit the glass and entered through the small openings of Jaime's window.

Jack was gone.

Jaime closed his eyes sadly. Confusion set in: Why was this happening? Why was this different from yesterday? Was it because he kissed Wendy? He couldn't take that back, could he? Wendy was special to him, but he didn't want to lose Jack. When he opened his teary eyes, he was finally able to take in what Jack had written on his window. It was Jack Frost's final farewell.

_Goodbye, Jaime._

~~GF~~

_And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this story! Again, it's a one-shot. I've got a couple of other ideas. One of them is mostly written, but I'm not sure if I'm prepared to post it. Let me know what you thought about it, if you've got time to send a review! Best, GF_


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